Parris scorns Amis’s American dream

A panel of big beasts, among them novelist Will Self and historian Simon Schama, debated the motion "Is America a force for good?" at London's Royal Geographical Society this week. Sparks flew at the Intelligence Squared event, particularly between Martin Amis (pictured) and Times columnist Matthew Parris, who claimed Amis's arguments were the literary equivalent of "an intellectual who has his shirt slashed open to the waist".

Parris's comment, which attracted a roar of approval from the crowd, followed remarks made by Amis that suggested the US had right on its side because of its unquestioned superpower status and cultural force.

In his opening peroration, Amis said: "American Psycho, American Gigolo, American Beauty, American Graffiti, American Pastoral and so on. It is an adjective unlike any of its national equivalents. An American Dream for instance is rich in implication. Whereas an English Dream has no allure and practically no content. German Gigolo. Swiss Psycho. Danish Werewolf in London."

That got a laugh. However, it did not persuade Parris, who concluded "that America has lost its moral authority more often than Fanny Hill has lost her virginity." The majority of the audience concurred.